Brown butter waffles with a whipped maple brown butter

So breakfast is kind of a big deal in our house. If you’ve been following along with us here, you’ve probably seen me share our favorite buttermilk pancake recipe once or twice (or a thousand times). They’re pretty darn delicious. What started out as JonPaul making pancakes on Saturday mornings when the babies were first little, has turned into a weekend tradition that is hardly ever broken. Pancakes are our thing.

The kids got me a waffle iron for Christmas. I jokingly said that I wanted one to JP in passing one day, and sure enough, that’s what I unwrapped Christmas morning. I had never been much of a waffle girl. I don’t even really remember my parents making us waffles when we were little. So I didn’t have any recipes in my back pocket for this new device that the kids were eagerly expecting me to use (every weekend). The pressure was on.

I played around with a recipe I found on Pinterest. Then I tried the recipe that was included with the manual for the waffle iron (why are they never good?).

And then finally, by accident, JonPaul and I came up with a brown butter waffle recipe together that we are crazy about.

It uses butter that has been lightly browned to a nutty taste, a little cinnamon and yeast, and of course is topped off with a ridiculously delicious whipped maple butter (that, oh yeah, uses brown butter too).

This recipe reminds me a lot of our favorite pancake recipe with the addition of the buttermilk. But there’s something a little extra that makes these so special, and for me that’s the yeast. While most recipes use baking soda/powder to leaven the batter, here we’re using yeast. Which is something very different. The yeast provides a beautiful chewy texture and a rich deep flavor that pairs so well with buttermilk. The almost tangy sour notes are balanced perfectly with the whipped maple butter. It’s a match made in heaven.

Working with the yeast is really easy too. I just let the batter sit out at room temperature for an hour and waited for it to rise. You could honestly smell it from across the kitchen (although maybe that was the cinnamon and brown butter ;). But you could always make the batter the night before and place it in the fridge. Just be sure to give it time to come to room temperature and rise the next morning. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

These waffles are what weekends are made for. Putting on a large put of coffee, while the yeast works it’s magic and the smell of nutty brown butter warms up the kitchen. It’s how every day should start off.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, yeast and salt. Whisk together and set aside

Meanwhile, heat buttermilk slowly over low heat until it reaches between 120-130 degrees (this is important to activate yeast. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast).

Gently pour the warm buttermilk into the flour mixture and combine.

Whisk together the 3 eggs and add to the batter.

In a small saucepan heat up the 5 tbsp of butter until it begins to foam (about 3-5 minutes). Once the butter is done "foaming' and has turned a nutty brown remove it from heat and pour into a separate bowl (pouring it into a separate bowl keeps the butter from continuing to darken and helps it cool down faster). Allow the butter to cool slightly. Pour the butter into the batter and whisk to combine (it can seem as though the butter is not mixing in, just keep mixing, it will combine, but try not to overmix).

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm part of your kitchen (I like to set it over my stove, especially if it's on. You don't want it near a window or anywhere with a draft. Yeast likes warm spots).

Once the yeast has risen for an hour, gently "punch" down the batter.

Follow your manufacturers guide for cooking the waffles. I find that using a ½ cup measuring cup works great and is the perfect size. You can brush the waffle iron with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.

Once waffles are removed from the iron, place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet (do not stack waffles on top of each other at this point or they "steam" and you loose the great texture). Keep them warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

To serve top with a dollop of whipped maple brown butter, a swirl of your favorite maple syrup and enjoy.

For the whipped maple brown butter

In a small sauce pan, heat half of a stick of butter over medium heat until it begins to foam (2-3 minutes). Gently stir the butter and add in the ¼ cup of maple syrup and salt. Continue to cook for another minute or two (just don't let the butter get too dark).

Transfer the maple butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow the butter to cool, until it just begins to thicken/harden (I put mine in the fridge for about 20 minutes).

Once the butter has cooled, using a whisk attachment, begin to whip the butter on low speed for 30 seconds and then gradually increase to high. Whip the butter until it forms soft peaks.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy on waffles, pancakes (or just eat it with a spoon!)

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I’m Katy and this is my life

Welcome to Grace in the Crumbs. A space dedicated to finding beauty in the everyday, ordinary, and often times messy moments of our lives. I hope that with whatever mess, whatever crumbs may be lying on your floor, that you find a little grace mixed in there too.

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I’m Katy, and this is my life

Welcome to Grace in the Crumbs. A space dedicated to finding beauty in the everyday, ordinary, and often times messy moments of our lives. I hope that with whatever mess, whatever crumbs may be lying on your floor, that you find a little grace mixed in there too.